If you want to break free of Amsterdam’s infamous party scene, there’s a more chilled-out alternative to the hedonistic Dutch capital.
Let the record show that I’m an Amsterdam girlie through and through. Many a happy weekend has been spent wandering its picture-perfect canals, indulging in sugary stroopwafel and tracking down a decent happy hour.
For anyone who has been on a stag do in Amsterdam, you know the drill. Try to find a cheap bar, load up on beer, wander the canals looking for clubs, party hard into the night, wake up with a deathly hangover and repeat.
It’s gloriously hedonistic, and I’m glad I spent some of my best backpacking years hanging out with Dutch pals in one of the world’s most exciting cities.
However, now I’m old and tired, I can’t face the stupidly late nights, emerging bleary-eyed in the morning, trying to hunt down coffee for less than 5 euros.
If, like me, you want to break free of the Dam’s blowout cycle, there’s a more chilled-out alternative to the party-hard Dutch capital.
Amsterdam is renowned for its historic canals, vibrant nightlife, and cultural attractions, and has long been a top tourist destination, welcoming up to 20 million tourists a year.
Its immense popularity has led to overcrowding, prompting the local government to take steps to manage mass tourism and address issues related to unruly visitors.
As a result, many travellers are seeking city break alternatives that offer similar Dutch charm without the crowds and high prices.
Utrecht, the fourth-largest city in the Netherlands, is fast emerging as a cheaper and less crowded alternative to party-hard Amsterdam and is easily reached by plane and train from Cardiff.
KLM operates daily flights from Cardiff Airport to Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, with an average flight time of 1 hour and 15 minutes.
From Schiphol, trains to Utrecht take about 30 minutes and depart every 15 minutes, and the railway station is situated directly below the airport. Gotta love those excellent European rail links.
Just a short hop from Amsterdam, Utrecht shares many similarities with the capital. It’s often called ‘Mini Amsterdam’ due to its pretty canals and well-preserved traditional Dutch architecture. It has all the beauty of Amsterdam but just a fraction of the crowds and, to some extent, the cost.
Here’s my guide on skipping Amsterdam this summer and heading to uber-cool Utrecht instead. Make sure to also follow me on TikTok for more travel recommendations.
Skip the crowds
As a predominantly university city, Utrecht has far fewer clog shops and less heavy tourist traffic than Amsterdam, making it a more pleasant place to visit, especially during the busy high season.
By contrast, the historic streets of Amsterdam are rammed with snap-happy tourists buying stroopwafels, posing at landmarks, clogging up canal walkways, and wandering into bike lanes.
In uber-cool Utrecht, however, you’ll find locals biking and walking around the compact centre and canals, and you can hear the expressive Dutch language all around you, with its guttural ‘g’s, diminutive ‘ties’, and pleasant sing-song accent.
You should visit Utrecht rather than Amsterdam to explore a Dutch city with a vibe and design similar to Amsterdam’s, but with much less foot traffic and selfie-taking visitors.
Amsterdam is a popular tourist spot, so everything is more expensive, from accommodation to food and attraction tickets, as demand is so high.
In under-the-radar Utrecht, there’s plenty to see and do, but the cost of hotels and eating out is inevitably slightly lower, meaning your travel money can go a bit further.
You can reduce costs further by staying in a backpacker hostel, booking self-catering accommodation, or seeking free city activities and events, such as a free walking tour of Utrecht.
There’s no better way to get to know the city than walking along the 12th-century Old Canal Area (Oudegracht), Europe’s only inner canal system with wharves and wharf cellars.
Ask your guide to take you along the waterside to see the cellars and learn more about the canals’ history and historic inhabitants.
You can also discover nature as a low-cost wellness activity by walking in Wilhelminapark, Lepelenburg Park, or the botanical gardens and appreciating the natural beauty in and around the city.
Explore Utrecht’s most unique feature
While Amsterdam has the iconic canals and dreamy waterways, Utrecht has its own architectural quirks.
The canals in Utrecht are split-level, meaning they are at street and water level and along the water, street-level cellars also date back to the 13th century.
The 12th-century Oudegracht (old canal) was built to divert the Oude Rijn (old river). Connecting the river Vecht in the north to the Vaartsche Rijn in the south, the Oudegracht was destined to become an elongated harbour.
Large city castles were built along the canal, and in the 13th Century, shipyards were built along the street at water level. The deep cellars, serving as storage spaces, ran through to below the houses.
What used to be warehouses, workhouses, and factories have now been refurbished into trendy restaurants, cafes, shops, and bars that sit right by the water, a feature you won’t find in Amsterdam.
Utrecht is also the only city in the Netherlands with restaurants with terraces at water level. Enjoy an alfresco meal or drink on these waterfront terraces as you watch boats gracefully glide by.
Get cultured
Amsterdam has many world-famous art museums and galleries, including the Rijksmuseum and the Van Gogh Museum. However, Utrecht also offers plenty of art and culture for visitors.
Utrecht proudly flies the flag for De Stijl, (Dutch for “The Style”) an eye-catching art movement born in 1917 in Leiden, known for bold lines, strict geometry, and a lot of horizontal and vertical action.
At the heart sits the offbeat Rietveld Schröder House, Utrecht’s star architectural attraction and a must-see for art, design, and photography lovers.
Built in 1924, Rietveld Schröder was commissioned by Ms Truus Schröder-Schräder and designed by the architect Gerrit Thomas Rietveld.
With its transformable kitchen/dining/living area, this unusual property brings De Stijl’s core principles to life in living colour (and shape).
Today, it’s a UNESCO World Heritage Site where curious visitors can poke around on guided or audio tours, prepare to geek out on form and function equally.
Don’t miss a trip to the Centraal Museum while you’re in town either. It’s Utrecht’s main museum and a fabulous mishmash of old and new, having opened its doors in 1838.
It’s now home to an eclectic modern art collection, including the world’s biggest stash of Rietveld pieces, ideal for funky furniture and design-flair fans. Keep an eye out for special exhibitions; there’s always something fresh and fascinating to discover here.
Check out the food scene and nightlife
The city’s youthful population means plenty of trendy bars and restaurants where you can sample international cuisine and traditional Dutch dishes like Poffertjes and Bitterballen.
Eating out in Utrecht is slightly cheaper than in Amsterdam too.
Head to the canals for wharf-side dining and drinking, and enjoy the cafe buzz of terraces packed with students and professionals. Talud9 Wijnbar is an excellent spot for a strong espresso by day and a cheeky wine at night.
For zingy international flavours, BLAUW is the place to go for quality Indonesian dining and is very popular with locals. Order their famous ‘meat and fish rice table’ and feast upon a vast selection of dishes, including Beef rendang, chicken rica rica, goat satay, mackerel pepsin, codfish meeting, shrimp satay, and lamb gulai.
For a steak dinner in the city, head to STAN in the centre for meaty dishes cooked on the charcoal-fired Josper grill at this swish dining venue. They also have Buddha bowls, breakfasts and massive sharing plates on the menu.
A night out in Utrecht is a chance to escape the noisy crowds of tourists and have a more relaxed evening surrounded by chilled-out locals, rather than slurring stags on a 48-hour bender.
The city has an active cultural life, with theatres, cinemas, music festivals, live music, clubs, and bars to suit all tastes. Its large student population means a big night out on the town has a youthful and vibrant feel.
If live music is your jam, there are several venues where you can see indie bands and artists. Ekko is a famous alternative pop stage in the city where you can have a meal, grab a beer and enjoy a live gig.
Utrecht bars worth a visit include Kafé België, a beer lover’s paradise with a large selection of brewed and bottled beers, and Winkel van Sinkel, for a glass of wine in a lovely outdoor seating area.
Stylish Street Food Club is an eclectic venue for getting expertly stirred and shaken signature cocktails and Asian & Peruvian street food.
Explore green spaces
While Amsterdam has the busy Vondelpark, Utrecht also offers beautiful green spaces to escape the urban surroundings, which are often less crowded than Amsterdam’s parks.
Rent a budget bike from the tourist centre and bike to the botanical gardens, Máximapark, and the large urban park Amelisweerd.
Get off your bike and connect with nature by hiring a boat and exploring the scenic waterways. Hire a Canoe from De Rijnstroom and paddle through the Amelisweerd nature reserve.
Glide through peaceful waters and appreciate the wildlife and swimming Dutch locals, who wave languidly from the water.
Paddle through fields, forests, and bridges on this gentle expedition and soak up some rays while on it. Along the way, you can stop and picnic at one of the picnic fields you will pass or feast upon delicious Dutch-style pancakes at the waterside Rhijnauwen tea house.
Plan your trip to Utrecht
Getting there from Cardiff
The easiest way to reach Utrecht from Cardiff is by flying to Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, which has daily departures from Cardiff Airport.
The flight takes about 1.5 hours. From Schiphol, you can catch a direct train to Utrecht Central Station. Trains run frequently throughout the day, taking approximately 30 minutes. You can purchase tickets at the airport or in advance via NS Dutch Railways.
To find the best flight deals, compare prices on platforms like Skyscanner or Google Flights and book as early as possible to secure the best rates.
Accommodation
Utrecht offers a range of accommodation options, from charming canal-side boutique hotels to budget-friendly hostels and modern apartments.
You can easily search and book hotels through trusted platforms such as Booking.com, which lets you filter by price, location, rating, and facilities. Look for hotels near the city centre or within walking distance of Utrecht Central Station for easy access to attractions and transport links.
Getting around
Utrecht has an efficient and easy-to-navigate public transport system, including buses and trams operated by U-OV.
The best way to get around is with an OV-chipkaart, a reusable travel card you can top up and use on most public transport in the Netherlands. You can also purchase disposable travel cards or make contactless payments for single journeys.
Cycling is a popular and practical way to explore the city. With extensive bike lanes and rental options (such as OV-fiets and local bike hire shops), you’ll find it easy to join locals on two wheels.
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